Monday, September 15, 2008

Abandoned property of the day

Now that the Kilpatrick family is leaving Dwight Street for Grosse Pointe Shores or wherever, it appears that the Manoogian's tour of duty as Detroit's royal residence may be ending.

Like too many beautiful homes in Detroit, nobody seems to want to live there anymore. Ken Cockrel says he "has better things to do than live in a mansion." Echoing the statement, potential mayoral prospects are also hurrying to distance themselves from the whole affair. Dave Bing says it is "not a place I want to live in," while Benny Napoleon is "more concerned about the things Detroiters are living with day to day."

Great! Another empty mansion. Folks in the stable (all things being relative) Berry subdivision must be so pleased. Now they're left to contemplate a future without the security blanket that came with having the mayor in their midst. After all, the city has such a great track record of steering surplus buildings to a happy second life, right?

Kwame Kenyatta wants it to be an orphanage. Cute. Aren't there, like, a few dozen elementary schools you could have converted to orphanages by now, sir?

Get it off the books. Something like a little outpost of Cranbrook in Detroit would be nifty. If they could find parking down there for all those parties the mayor never had, surely they can sort out room for a few people visiting an art gallery/performance space.